Metro land acquisition runs into trouble

Metro land acquisition runs into trouble
BMRC Is Accused Of Taking Away More Properties Than Needed
The Times of India

Bangalore: The acquisition of 27 acres of land belonging to private parties for the Metro Rail has been stalled. Reason: the decision of the B a n g a l o re Metro Rail Corporation (BMRC) to acquire 156 properties on the Mahakavi Kuvempu Road when the Draft Project Report (DPR) has suggested that only 22 properties need to be acquired, fully or partially. The BMRC decision has also hiked up the cost of land acquisition.
The DPR, prepared by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, delineates the requirements for elevated Metro rail land acquisition. There will be a oneand-a-half metre column at the centre every 30 metres, like under the Sirsi Circle flyover. Keeping in mind the width of the cantilever on the top, the DPR has taken into account only the minimum number of properties required.
But, officials say, in the name of the Metro Rail project, the BMRC is trying to take away more land for expanding the roads to four-lane down below. Such road expansion plans, they content, should not be part of the Metro Rail project plan.
What the BMP would need is a drainlike trench for service cables for VSNL, BSNL, Reliance, Airtel, sanitary lines, electricity cables, water supply provision among other things. But the authorities want to build a separate trench for each one of them. The plan to widen the road has nothing to do with the Metro Rail project, officials say.
Protests by residents and shopowners of the Mahakavi Kuvempu Road has only yielded promises from chief minister H D Kumaraswamy to look into the matter.
It is five months since project sanction has been obtained, three months since foundation stone has been laid by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and still land acquisition for a project that has been talked about for decades is not complete.
Many are left wondering if there is a design behind this.